Kiwifruit has various health benefits and serves as a commercial crop due to its economic significance. It tastes delicious and is rich in nutrients.
It can be consumed in a number of ways such as;
· Raw form
· Fresh or canned juices
· Garnished in cakes and other baked items
· Used in desserts
· Salads
Nutritional value
· Vitamin C (ascorbic acid): Green and golden kiwifruit contains 80-120 and 161.3 mg of vitamin C per 100 g of the fruit, respectively. Vitamin C has antioxidant properties and supports the immune system to fight against infections.
· Vitamin E: About 1.46 mg of vitamin E is present in the green kiwifruit which also serves as an antioxidant.
· Folate: The folate content of gold kiwifruit is 31 µg/g which helps in blood formation, the growth of maternal tissue during pregnancy and the alleviation of fatigue and psychological functions.
· Potassium: Potassium present in the kiwifruit helps to regulate blood pressure and plays important role in nervous system function.
· Dietary fibers: Kiwifruit contains high amount of soluble and insoluble dietary fibers that help in water retention in the digestive system and supports good digestion.
· Proteins and actinidin: Kiwifruit contains different proteins including kiwellin that plays important role in digestive health. Actinidin is a cysteine protease and in addition to its beneficial role in the digestive system it also acts as an allergen.
The health benefits of kiwifruit and its role as an allergen will be discussed later.
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Source: Richardson, D.P., Ansell, J. and Drummond, L.N., 2018. The nutritional and health attributes of kiwifruit: a review. European journal of nutrition, 57(8), pp.2659-2676.
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